WFSU Radio: Tom Flanigan Visits MHG

On Friday, June 6, 2015 Tom Flanigan of NPR affiliate WFSU Radio (Florida State University) paid a visit to MHG’s Bainbridge, Georgia facility to learn about PHA bioplastics and record a news segment for his radio show. Flanigan toured the plant and interviewed CEO Paul Pereira and special guest Dr. Jenna Jambeck of the University of Georgia.

Listen to the show…

“Is Plastic from Plants a Pollution Solution?” – Tom Flanigan

Part I – MHG Tour with COO Michael Smith

“Plastics were a hot field in the late 1960s. But fast-forward almost fifty years and there are those who now consider plastics – made almost totally from petroleum – to be a bane as well as a boon. But – as another 60s icon Bob Dylan sang – the “times they are a-changing.” At least, they seem to be at MHG, a new factory located in an industrial park just off U.S. 27 north of Bainbridge, Georgia.” – Tom Flanigan

“It’s been said, ‘Life is fleeting; plastics are forever.’ And if you doubt the wisdom of that saying, just check out a recent ABC News Report on what’s being called the ‘Pacific Garbage Patch.’ The story described the garbage patch as ‘created by the Pacific current, carrying refuse from North America, Asia and the Pacific Islands; then concentrating it into a continent-sized swirl of flotsam estimated to contain 3.5 million tons of junk, 80% of it plastic.'” – Tom Flanigan

“…Is biodegradable plastic made from plants financially feasible and could it soon replace ‘pet’ – petroleum based plastic? MHG’s Smith insists the answer is yes on both counts. ‘We don’t have to make plastic from oil or natural gas,’ he said. ‘You can make it from crops that grown and you can make it cheaper. As we scale up, we can actually be not just the right decision, but the cost-effective decision as well.'” – Tom Flanigan

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